Prelude to War
A two chapter special to celebrate the last arc's 10th chapter! The history of Soul Society...! Time Immemorial One thousand years prior to present events, Soul Society was a much different place. Most of the Seireitei didn't exist and the Shinigami, then called Balancers, roamed and did things as they saw fit. On this day in history, on what would become the , high above Soul Society's vast forests, two groups of Balancers stood across from each other. The first group, the "Genryū", were led by the young man, named . The second, called the Getsueikirite, were lead by a wizened Hyakuoku Getsueikirite. Both men stood between their groups in the center, facing one another. "Lucifer has gone too far this time, Genryūsai." Hyakuoku barked through his emboldened old voice. "We have to do something or the entire universe may end!" "Hyakuoku, you old fool!" the young Yamamoto bellowed, "Lucifer is a Sōzōshin of tremendous power. We Balancers must concern ourselves with the plight of the Plus. Let the King deal with Lucifer and his relentless rebels. You and your group of mercenaries are already doing enough to give us a bad name... They call us Shinigami now. Death Gods! How utterly insulting!" "I will not sit here motionless while Soul Society hangs in the balance, Genryūsai. If you will not stand with us, then stand aside and let us by!" Hyakuoku rebuffed. "You know I can't do that, Hyakuoku." Yamamoto replied, "I have to stop you and your group for the benefit of Soul Society and the name of Balancer." Yamamoto launched himself at Hyakuoku, drawing his Zanpakutō as he neared. Hyakuoku blocked the young Yamamoto's blow with just his arm, focusing enough reiatsu into his arm to prevent the blade from cutting him. "Now, now, Genryūsai." the old Hyakuoku chastised, "Have you already forgotten who taught you to use that blade?" Yamamoto withdrew as a tremendous burst of flames erupted from his body, signaling the release of Ryūjin Jakka into its Shikai form. "I have not forgotten, Hyakuoku. I revere your teachings. But your antics have gotten crazed. Soul Society is now directly threatened as a result of your actions." Yamamoto snapped. " !" The flames of Ryūjin Jakka completely surrounded the elderly Getsueikirite, trapping him an a sphere of tremendously powerful flames. Suddenly, however, an enormous reiatsu fell on the area, originating from within the flames. "Forgive me, Genryūsai." Hyakuoku sighed, "I cannot hold back. Lucifer's evil must be put to a stop. Sōzōshin or not, I will not allow him to trample on Soul Society and the World of the Living as he sees fit! Swallow all Creation in Floods, Kōdai Kōzui!" Feuds from the Past... In the present day, Akujin sat, arms folded across his chest, on his throne in the depths of Impero Nascosto's base. Below him, a mysterious masked individual leaned against a far wall, listening to his tale. "So that's where this all began. The feud between the Getsueikirite and Yamamoto's Shinigami." the masked man responded after Akujin had finished. "Yes." Akujin replied simply, gazing off into the distance as if to look into the very past itself. "But how do you know all this?" the masked man continued, "The events that took place in the Lucifer War were over a thousand years ago. You yourself said it was before Yamamoto formed the Gotei 13." Akujin gazed off to the side ominously, "There is a location nearby the district in which the Getsueikirite once resided in the Rukongai. A scared place in which only descendants of Hyakuoku can go to. Tsukihaku Shrine." Akujin explained. "I've heard of it." the masked man replied, somewhat surprised. "You should've." Akujin continued, "You, like me, are Getsueikirite. Anyways, the shrine contains the details of that war. In addition, it use to hold a powerful artifact." The masked man raised his head at this, his eyes shining through the one socket in the mask, "What artifact?" he asked sharply. "The Makin; the Devil's Key." Akujin revealed, just as sharply. "You see, one thousand years ago, the Spirit King was the leader of all Balancers. When Lucifer was defeated, he created a key called the to connect to his royal dimension. At the same time, Lucifer's remains were locked in another dimension. One could say the Makin is the opposite of the Ōkin." "But you said the shrine used to have the artifact. What became of it?" the masked man questioned. Akujin tapped a small square engraving in his chair's armrest, causing a large wooden door to open beside where the masked man was standing. Akujin then rose from his throne and began to walk across the throne room until he reached the door, ushering the masked man inside. There, on a makeshift shrine inside the room, sat the Makin; a larger than average key with strange engravings on it. "Shinigami became scarce in our clan after Hyakuoku. Only those of us who master Bankai can touch the key." Akujin explained. "Now, however, the key is obsolete." "Why?" the masked man hissed, looking suspiciously out of his mask. Akujin motioned to the back of the room. There, chained above the key's shrine and dangling from the ceiling lifelessly, was a ancient-looking body that resembled a corpse. "Is that...?!" the masked man gasped. "Indeed. That is Lucifer's broken body brought back from his prison dimension. Don't be fooled. He is still very much alive." Akujin replied. "Once my plan is complete, he'll be fully revived." The Reason Behind the Madness! The masked man folded his arms once again, glaring at Akujin from within his mask, "For what reason do you want to accomplish all this?" he asked. "After all, this will surely mean the end of the Shinigami." Akujin looked up towards the ceiling of the room the two men were in, gazing off into space; his eyes taking back hundreds of years to his childhood in the Rukongai. The Pain of a Child "Mother! Father!" young Tadoku Getsueikirite shouted, running through the crowded marketplace of the Rukongai. "Tadoku!" the boy's father called back, showing him where they were located. "Did you find it?" The boy, who could be no older than seven, handed his father the bag he had carried throughout the market. The older Getsueikirite took the bag, glancing within to view the contents, grinning upon confirming that his son had indeed gathered the necessary supplies. Lowing his hand to ruffle the boy's hair, he smile, "That's my boy, Tadoku." he said warmly. Tadoku grinned widely. The following day was a momentous day in the Getsueikirite Family. The whole clan would gather to celebrate the defeat of Lucifer by their ancient ancestor as they did every year on this day. This would be Tadoku's first time to attend the ceremony, as the previous seven years, he was deemed too young by his father to go. "Did you enjoy your adventure in the market, sweetie?" his mother chimed in. Tadoku's grin only seemed to widen, "Yes, mother! It was fun!" he chirped. "We'd better return to the compound." his father declared, "We have all we need to make preparations for the celebration tomorrow and time is of the essence." And so, the small Getsueikirite family made their way back through the crowd back towards their clan's compound within the district. However, the sinister events about to unfold on them would mark the birth of the multiverse's greatest evil....! More in the next chapter! End